-For Damages for Defamation by Attachment
Mr. Mohammed Maladho Bah – Presidential Special Envoy on Investment and Liberian Musician Mr. Franklin Edward Harris, Alias Kpanto slammed with One Million United States Dollars lawsuit for Damages for Defamation by Attachment for defaming a Liberian girlchild.
Ms. Serena Wreh, by and through her biological parents Mr. Stephen Wreh and Ms. Eliza Krayku of the City of Monrovia, County filed the Action for Damage before the Civil Law Court in the 6th Judicial Circuit sitting in its June Term of Court.
On Wednesday, 19th June 2024, a hearing on the Motions to Dismiss for lack of capacity of the minor child’s parents to file a suit on her behalf without a Court Decree of Guardianship filed by Kpanto’s lawyers, and Mohammed Bah’s lawyer that the complaint should be dismissed on grounds that comments made in the form of a question cannot be term as defamation.
The motions were argued by the opposing sides., with the Plaintiff’s lawyer arguing that the Facebook Post was not a question, but a comment that defamed the minor child and that Mohammed Bah’s publication was a deliberate attack on the integrity and moral character of the child that disgraced, degraded, and reduced her name, character, and reputation among her peers, family and friends, and the community at large.
Mohammed Bah argued that the caption of the Facebook post was regular Liberian parlance and that an expression in the form of a question can not be considered defamation; whereas Franklin Harris, 2nd Defendant Counsel Rodney Khou contended that the music did not defame the girl child, and therefore the case should be dismissed.
The motions to dismiss were denied in favor of the Plaintiff, Ms. Serena Wreh and the matter was ruled to trial on its merits.
It can be referenced that on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, Facebook was flooded with comments in response to a post made by Mohammed Bah on his Facebook Page with Photos of Representative Yekeh Kolubah and a Liberian female high school student in Uniform with the caption “But Yekeh get game oo, Buh Yekeh da baby! Watch till the end! Short Story.
The post which generated public debate, elicited several opinions. Franklin Harris Alias Kpanto after produced a musical line that has been widely played across the world spewing explosive sexual and degrading of the girlchild.
The Plaintiff was represented by the Beyond Law Chambers, and the lawyers in court were Cllr. Mark M.M Marvey, Cllr. Moriah Yeakula, Atty. Facia Harris and Attorney Solomon Fyneah, while Cllr represented the 1st Defendant Mohammed Bah. Benjamin Stewart and 2nd Defendant represented by Sam Yan Harris, Cllr. Rodney Khou, and others.
